


Dissociation

by dreamwriteremmy (ehryniewi)



Series: The Common House Tales [69]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work, Steins;Gate, To The Moon (Video Game), Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Dissociation, Dissociative Identity Disorder, F/M, Mental Health Issues, Switching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 12:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5127653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ehryniewi/pseuds/dreamwriteremmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin triggers a bit of a mess during the house support group.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dissociation

In the middle of one of the support groups Kevin ends up out of his seat and on the floor shaking. Vanessa looks utterly lost and Betony nods allowing her to join him. Betony cautiously leads a breathing exercise for the whole group honoring the pain the two of them had to go through. But after its done one of Nico's headmates Suzuha switches out and says quietly. "Betony, I think he's dissociating, possibly switching like we do. Can I have a moment with him?"

Betony nods. "Go ahead Suzuha-san."

Suzuha sits down on the floor across from Kevin and Vanessa and says firmly. "Kevin, this is a safe place. You're allowed to be whoever you are right now. It's not wrong. It's not dangerous in itself. It's another flavor of normal. Just not necessarily a common one. Whoever you are we want you to be here and it's perfectly okay to not feel safe right now. We know this is new. But we hope you'll trust us to make space for you."

Betony watches as Kevin looks up, and says in the small voice she remembers from his early days in-system when he was sick. "Promise?"

Suzuha nods. "We promise. You can always talk to us if you want a safe space."

Vanessa blinks. "I... I'm confused."

Suzuha sighs. "Sometimes when bad things happen or if people's brains are wired differently they compartmentalize into versions of self. Sometimes different compartmentalizations have different roles and memories attached to them. It's not bad or wrong. It's just different. Our system can lend you some books later. Betony can I put this in our phone now so we remember?"

Betony nods. "Go ahead, Suzuha-san. Kevin, Vanessa, are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Vanessa glances up. "My blanket, please?" She then looks down at Kevin. "Kev, do you want anything?"

Betony watches as Kevin's arms wrap around his knees. "Do you need something to cuddle, Kevin?"

A nod.

Betony gets up. "Anyone else need grounding objects while I'm up?"

She glances around the circle and Eva cautiously holds up her hand. "Can I have something to cuddle too?"

Betony nods. Going to the supply closet and removing Vanessa's weighted blanket, a large yellow star pillow for Kevin and a teddy bear for Eva and passes them out. Kevin hugs the star to his chest and Vanessa wraps her blanket around her shoulders so that the edge drapes over Kevin. Eva cuddles her bear, her chin pressing into its head. She lets them sit for a bit. "Okay. Who wants to check in next?"

Eva talks and they support her. Kevin whimpers at one point and Betony frowns. Vanessa sits back and Kevin bolts toward the decompress shelter in the corner. Vanessa looks terrified and Betony sighs. "Okay. I don't think we're going to get much else done today. Meeting is dismissed if anyone needs extra support, send me a message through the system."

Vanessa wraps her blanket tighter around her as everyone leaves and looks over at the corner. Betony gets down on the floor. "Vanessa, it's okay. I'm going to go check on Kevin. You just sit tight for a little bit."

She nods.

Betony wanders over to the corner and sits by the entrance of the corner. "Kevin, honey, can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Betony sneaks in the little tent and watches him. "Do you know what Eva said that triggered you? Or was it Suzuha-san and you're still stuck with the delayed reaction?"

Kevin shrugs. "I... I'm not okay. What's wrong with me?"

Betony sighs. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, honey. We knew you dissociated when you aren't okay. This is just something new we learned about the extent you can dissociate at. Peers tend to catch things before I can. I'm sorry if Suzuha-san was being way too forward about it. She's like that sometimes."

"I don't know how to handle this. I'm..."

"Kevin, sweetie... It's okay. You don't have to have the answers right now, but I want you to try something for me. Do you think you can try to do some homework for me?"

"I'll try."

"Let's play with the assumption that Suzuha-san is onto something. I want you to try to keep track of the dissociation and notice when you don't feel like Kevin and maybe give the not-Kevins names or titles or ask them if they have something they want to be called. If you want Vanessa to help you with this experiment you can, but you have the final say on how much you want to work on this. I want you to give me the report at my next individual meeting with you and Vanessa. Good?"

Kevin nods.

Betony smiles. "Okay. Now can we come out and talk with Vanessa for a little bit?" 

Kevin nods again and edges out of the hideaway and walks over to Vanessa. "Nessa?" 

She looks up. "Kev?" 

Kevin nods. "Yeah, I'm me again."

"You scared me...." 

"Nessa, I'm scared too... I don't know what's happening really." 

Betony smiles. "We're going to right now, work with the assumption that Suzuha-san is onto something. We know Kevin here dissociates when he's not okay. Suzuha-san brought it to everyone's attention that maybe there's a little more to the dissociation that we were not aware of previously. I've given Kevin some homework. He might ask you for your observation skills in helping him be aware of the dissociation and try to figure out if there might be any indications that he's not Kevin and to try to figure out if they have something they want to be called and/or give them some form of identification. Do you think you can try to help him?"

"I'll try."


End file.
